SPY PHOTOS

Porsche 911

Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra HD Diesels

This Porsche 911 shows off its new facelift as the revamped icon runs performance tests camo-free. These shots provide the most complete look yet at the updated design tweaks.

The newly designed front bumper and updated daytime running lights are clearly visible. The rear shows larger-shaped taillights than are included on the current model. The new Porsche 911 features central dual exhaust and a new rear bumper with air intakes at the side. The car is expected to launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show inSeptember 2015.

The heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado (top) and GMC Sierra (bottom) prototypes featured here provide quality looks at the remakes of the crew-cab versions of the standard and dually trucks due in 2016. GM is reportedly bumping the current 6.6L Duramax turbo diesel’s horsepower, torque and towing capacity to counter Ford’s recently upgraded 6.7L Powerstroke V8 turbo diesel.

Part of GM’s strategy is to feed more air into the engine via a new functional air intake designed into the trucks’ redesigned hoods. The prototypes were all sporting diesel exhaust, and the fuel doors stated, “Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel Only.”

’17 Jeep Patriot Mule

Ford SVT Truck

The test mule for the ’17 Jeep Patriot uses a stretched version of the FCA-derived “small” platform that currently underpins the new Jeep Renegade. The mule includes a riveted section that lengthens the Renegade platform by several inches.

The stretched Renegade-based Patriot mule largely confirms speculation that the singular follow-up to the Patriot/Compass duo will follow a path closer to the more rugged Patriot instead of the more car-like Compass. The timing of this mule seems to confirm earlier reports that the next Jeep Patriot will appear sometime in the second quarter of ’16 as a ’17 model, slotting between the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Renegade to better flesh out Jeep’s model range.

New mules running the streets of Dearborn add to the speculation that Ford is testing a new-generation follow-up to its SVT Lightning. In addition to mules that are clearly progenitors for the ’17 SVT Raptor, a new style has now appeared, suggesting a similar SVT-tuned powerplant but without the Raptor’s familiar wide-body packaging. The SVTs both have dual exhaust tips jutting through makeshift cutouts in the rear bumper. The exhausts mimic the height and placement found on the Liquid Blue ’17 Raptor introduced at the 2015 North American International Auto Show.

Ford hasn’t announced any performance trucks beyond the next Raptor, but has promised a big wave of high-performance models to hit by 2020.